PROGRAM PLANNING (Sociology 466/566)
Minnesota State University-Mankato
Spring Semester 2004
Dr. Leah Rogne
113 Armstrong Hall
Ph: 389-5610 (w) 625-5546 (h)
Leah.rogne@mnsu.edu
Office Hours: Office Hours: T-Th 10-11 a.m., 1-3:30 p.m.; W 2-4 p.m., 5-6 p.m.; and by
appointment; call me at home if you need to—I don’t mind!
Course: Theoretical and practical aspects of the planning process within social service systems.
Examines the social context of planning and the use of a sociological base for planning in
Human Services.
Required Text: Barbara Schram. 1997. Creating Small Scale Social Programs: Planning,
Implementation, and Evaluation. Other readings as assigned, including a number of readings
from the following comprehensive website of nonprofit resources:
http://www.nonprofits.org/npofaq/
Course Objectives: After completing the course, students will be able to:
1) Outline the core concepts of planning in human service organizations;
2) Discuss various approaches to planning;
3) Describe the steps involved in effective planning;
4) Explain the process of carrying out a needs assessment and an asset inventory;
5) Understand the importance of community participation and direction of program
planning;
6) Use critical thinking to evaluate various approaches to program planning in
human services;
7) Draft a proposal for the development and implementation of a human service
program.
Course Responsibilities:
1. Readings: Readings from the text and other readings as assigned. Readings should be
completed on the day assigned in the schedule, and students should be alert for handouts
or additional readings assigned in class. In general, you should have completed the
readings by the first meeting of the class every week. If you miss a class, you are
responsible for any handouts or announcements made in your absence.
2. Attendance & Participation: If you must miss a class, please arrange to get notes,
handouts, and any announcements/changes in schedule from another student. Students are
expected to participate in the life of the class. The class will be highly interactive, and
your preparation and participation are essential. Part of your grade includes the
quality of your class participation. Participation, of course, requires your attendance!
You will also earn points for daily in-class activities. See below for points gained
from in-class activities and from participation.
3. Accommodation: Every attempt will be made to accommodate qualified students with
disabilities. If you are a student with a documented disability, please see me as early in
the semester as possible to discuss the necessary accommodations, and/or contact the
Disability Services Office at (507) 389-2825 (V) or 1-800-627-3529 (MRS/TTY).
4. Personal Concerns: If there are any personal concerns that might get in the way of your
doing the best you can, there is help available. Contact the Personal Counselors’ office:
located in Student Union 245, phone number 389-1455.
5. Academic Integrity: Academic honesty is expected. Cheating on exams, plagiarizing
papers, or falsifying information will be addressed according to University policy and
may result in the failure of the course. Please check the University webpage at
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http://www.mnsu.edu/supersite/administration/basic-stuff/policies.html to see the
relevant policy. You are responsible for knowing this policy. If you have any questions,
please ask.
6. Communication: I am very committed to your success in and enjoyment of this class!
Feel to ask questions at any time during class. Please keep in close touch with me about
any concerns you have about how you are doing in the class, any questions about the
content or requirements, or anything that may be interfering with your best performance.
Please see me after class, during my office hours, or call me to make an appointment to
meet at a time that works for you.
Assessments:
1. Exams: Three exams which cover material from the texts, handouts, other assigned
readings, and any classroom discussions and activities. Exams cannot be made up except
in the case of a documentable emergency. Please contact me as soon as you can (in
advance if possible) if there is an emergency. Each exam is worth 100 points for a
total of 300 points.
2. In-Class Activities: There will be 12 scheduled or unscheduled response papers or other
in-class activities. I will count only 10, so you can miss two without losing points.
If you complete the other two, they will count as extra credit. Each in-class activity is
worth 5 points for a total of 50 points.
3. Class Participation: This course is highly interactive and will work best only if
everyone is an active participant in class discussions. Five points are possible to
receive each class day (beginning January 20 and excluding February 10 and March 23).
You will be granted two absences without losing any points. This makes 26 classes
meetings: 24 X 5 = 120 points for class participation.
4. Class Project: Students will choose one of the following options:
a. Write a program plan proposal based on the principles discussed in the course.
b. Write a grant proposal in response to a real request for proposals (RFP).
Instructions for these assignments will be distributed separately. The class project is
worth 200 points.
Exams
(3 @ 100 points)
In-Class Activities
(10 @ 5 points)
Participation
(24 @ 5 points)
Class Project
Total:
300 points
50 points
120 points
200 points
670 points
Graduate Students:
In addition to the above assignments, graduate students will complete a formal research
paper on a topic of her/his choice. The paper will be 15-20 pages. Graduate students
should meet with me to discuss their proposed topic. Guidelines for the paper will be
distributed separately. The research paper counts 200 points.
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Grades:
Letter grades are assigned based on the percentage of total points earned from all course
components. A is 90%; B is 80%; C is 70%; D is 60% and F is below 60%. Note: Any
changes in course requirements will be announced in class. Late papers will discounted
one letter grade per day. In case of an emergency, such as illness or family
responsibilities, a late assignment may be accepted without penalty, but you must contact
me as soon as possible.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
Week 1
Jan. 13
Introduction to Class
Jan. 15
Schram
Introduction
Ch. 1: Overview of Planning the Small-Scale Program
Ch. 2: Planning to Plan
Week 2
Jan. 20-22
Schram
Ch. 3 : Meet the Planners from LIFT House
Ch. 4: Troubleshooting: Describing the Full Dimensions of a
Problem
Week 3
Jan. 27-29
Schram
Ch. 5: Magnifying the GAP: The Program Design Process
Ch. 6: Microscoping: Translating Goals Into Small, Systematic,
Sequential Tasks and Setting Up Systems to
Accomplish Them
Week 4
Feb. 3-5
Schram
Ch. 7: Acting and Reacting: The Program in Action
Ch. 8: Follow-Ups and Evaluations: Closing One Program Loop
and Opening Up the Next
Week 5
Feb. 10
Schram
Appendix: A Sample Proposal
Sample Grant Proposal: Ohio Children and Families
http://web.archive.org/web/20010216073923/http://www.charitychannel.com/
GuestShare/Wendy_Norris/
Feb. 12
Week 6
Feb. 17-19
Exam 1
McKnight, John L.: (1997) A Twenty-First Century Map for Healthy
Communities and Families
http://www.northwestern.edu/ipr/publications/community/century.html
McKnight, John L. & John Kretzmann: Mapping Community Capacity
http://www.northwestern.edu/ipr/publications/community/mcc.html
Week 7
3
Feb. 24-26
Tues.
Max Weber
Bureaucracy
Pfeiffer.edu Bureaucracy
http://www2.pfeiffer.edu/~lridener/DSS/Weber/WEBERW8.HTML
Thurs.
Planning in Organizations
http://www.mapnp.org/library/plan_dec/plan_dec.htm
Basic Guidelines for Successful Planning Process
http://www.mapnp.org/library/plan_dec/gen_plan/gen_plan.htm
Basic Guide to Nonprofit Program Design and Marketing
http://www.mapnp.org/library/prog_mng/np_progs.htm
Week 8
Mar. 2-4
Cohen, Burton J. (1999) Fostering Innovation in a Large Human Services
Bureaucracy. Administration in Social Work, Vo. 23(2), 47-59
(Haworth Press website)
Singh: Neighborhood Strengthening through Community Building
http://comm-org.utoledo.edu/papers2003/singh.htm
Blanc: From the Ground Up: The Logan Square Neighborhood Association’s
Approach to Building Community Capacity
http://comm-org.utoledo.edu/papers2003/lsna/
March 8-12
SPRING BREAK
Week 9
Mar. 16-18
Cline et al.: Help for First-Time Needs Assessors
Grunbaum, et. al.: A Comprehensive Approach to School Health Program Needs
Assessments
Okerlund, et al.: Needs Assessment Update: Establishing a Tradition of Integrated
Evaluation and Awareness
(all three articles available from Expanded Academic ASAP)
Week 10
Mar. 23
Poindexter, et al.: Teaching and Learning by Example: Empowerment principles
applied to development, delivery, and evaluation of community-based
training for HIV service providers and supervisors
Nelson, et. al: Building Value-Based Partnerships: Toward solidarity with
oppressed groups
(available from ProQuest)
Mar. 25
Exam 2
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Week 11
Mar. 30-Apr. 1
Libby & Austin: Building a Coalition of Non-Profit Agencies to
Collaborate with a County Health and Human Services Agency:
The Napa County Behavioral Health Committee of the Napa
Coalition of Non-Profits
http://www.haworthpressinc.com/store/EText/ViewLibraryEText.asp?s=J147&m=0
--then click on “plus” icon for Volume 23, No. 2
Week 12
Apr. 6-8
Week 13
Apr. 13-15
Mock Grant Writing Activity
http://www.epa.gov/seahome/grants/src/mock/summary.htm
Basic Guide to Program Evaluation
http://www.mapnp.org/library/evaluatn/fnl_eval.htm
Basic Guide to Outcomes-Based Evaluation for Nonprofit Organizations
with Very Limited Resources
http://www.mapnp.org/library/evaluatn/outcomes.htm
Week 14
Apr. 20-22
Week 15
Apr. 27-29
Boehm: Managing the Life Cycle of a Community Project: A Marketing
Approach
http://www.haworthpressinc.com/store/EText/ViewLibraryEText.asp?s=J147&m=0
-- then click on “plus” icon for Volume 27, No. 2
Graduate Student Presentations
Proposal Presentations
FINALS WEEK
Friday, May 7, 12:30-2:30 p.m.
Final
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USEFUL WEBSITES FOR PROGRAM PLANNING – SOC. 466/566
IMPORTANT NONPROFIT WEBSITES
http://www.nonprofits.org/npofaq/ -- Internet Nonprofit Center Main Website
-- entry point for vast array of nonprofit materials
http://www.nonprofits.org/npofaq/keywords/1k.html -- Planning
-- what you get when you click on Planning on main nonprofit website
-- on this, click “what’s a good program development strategy” and on the bottom are
the links for program development
http://www.nonprofits.org/npofaq/04/14.html -- What’s a Good Program Development Strategy
includes links to planning material
http://www.mapnp.org/library/prog_mng/prog_mng.htm -- Program Planning & Management
-- beginning for most of the planning stuff
http://www.mapnp.org/library/prog_mng/np_progs.htm -- Basic Guide to Nonprofit Program
Design and Marketing
-- comes off the above page
http://www.mapnp.org/library/org_ally/org_ally.htm -- Organizational Alliances
-- on collaboration; many links
http://www.mapnp.org/library/plan_dec/plan_dec.htm -- Planning in Organizations
-- includes difference between program and project
http://www.mapnp.org/library/plan_dec/gen_plan/gen_plan.htm -- Basic Guidelines for
Successful Planning Process
-- link off previous page
http://www.mapnp.org/library/plan_dec/gen_plan/gen_plan.htm#anchor1185111 -- Basic Terms
in Planning
-- link off previous page; is included directly on the above page
http://www.mapnp.org/library/plan_dec/project/project.htm -- Project Management
-- link from Planning in Organizations
http://web.archive.org/web/20010216073923/http://www.charitychannel.com/GuestShare/Wend
y_Norris/ -- Sample Grant Proposal
http://www.epa.gov/seahome/grants/src/mock/mock.htm -- Mock Grant Writing Activity
http://www.nonprofits.org/npofaq/19/64.html -- Grant Writing Tools Website
http://www.nonprofits.org/npofaq/chrono/ -- Revisions and Additions
http://www.mapnp.org/library/evaluatn/fnl_eval.htm -- Basic Guide to Program Evaluation
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http://www.mapnp.org/library/evaluatn/outcomes.htm -- Basic Guide to Outcomes-Based
Evaluation for Nonprofit Organizations with Very Limited Resources
ARTICLES ON COMMUNITY ORGANIZATING & COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT
http://comm-org.utoledo.edu/papers2003/singh.htm -- Singh: Neighborhood Strengthening
through Community Building (Comm-Org site)
http://comm-org.utoledo.edu/papers2003/lsna/ -- Blanc: From the Ground Up: The Logan Square
Neighborhood Association’s Approach to Building Community Capacity
http://comm-org.utoledo.edu/papers2002/stoecker.htm -- Stoecker: Thinking About Community
Organizing and Development
-- four working papers
http://comm-org.utoledo.edu/drafts/twopathsb2.htm -- Stocker: Power or Programs? Two Paths
to Community Development
-- one of the above papers
-- comparison of power (U.S.) and program models (other countries)
ARTICLES ON OTHER TOPICS
http://www.haworthpress.com/store/EText/View_EText.asp?sid=DWDPSE5G8VJV9GG9B6X9UB6DF25CAAB3&a=3&s=J147&v=
23&i=2&fn=J147v23n02%5F04 -- Cohen: Fostering Innovation in a Large Human Services
Bureaucracy
-- go to Haworth Press website above; go to 1999; click on “plus” icon on issue 2, 1999
http://www.haworthpressinc.com/store/E-Text/ViewLibraryEText.asp?s=J147&m=0 -- Libby &
Austin: Building a Coalition of Non-Profit Agencies to Collaborate with a County Health and
Human Services Agency: The Napa County Behavioral Health Committee of the Napa Coalition
of Non-Profits
-- click on “plus” icon on issue 4, 2002
-- Nelson, et. al: Building Value-Based Partnerships: Toward solidarity with oppressed groups
-- available from ProQuest database
(couldn’t get website to show article—is in full text)
-- Poindexter, et al.: Teaching and Learning by Example: Empowerment principles applied to
development, delivery, and evaluation of community-based training for HIV service providers
and supervisors
-- from ProQuest
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